Pokemon: My best friend
by Blackroseray
Summary: A young man finally sets out on his quest for thrills, and learns what it is to be a real Pokemon trainer.
1. Episode 1: Setting out!

A young man named Ray had a dream ever since he was a child. His dream was to become a Pokémon trainer and see the world with a trusted Pokémon companion. Ray was poor growing up, and could never begin his journey because he needed to support his family. His mother was Nurse Joy from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region. Since there weren't many trainers in the vicinity, there was always a shortage of income, and as such, the income generated was used to keep the Pokémon Center up and running. There was a path filled with wild Pokémon whom frequently attacked travellers, so business was never completely slow.

Now 18 years old, Ray has finally saved up enough funds to go out and travel, at least for a little while. He had saved up $5000, and bought a set of Pokéballs. They charged him $1500 instead of $2000 because he was a very frequent customer in the mart. The shopkeeper had seen him every day since he was 5 years old. _**"Go get'em kid, I know fer sure you can see the world if ya put yer heart into it!"**_ said the shopkeeper ecstatically. Before Ray left the store, the shopkeeper offered him a backpack and a bag of beef jerky. _**"Oh? What's this?**__"_ Ray asked curiously. _**"I knew this day would come eventually kid,"**_ said the shopkeeper. _**"I saved this for ya, so that you could hang on to all yer stuff when ya leave."**_ They exchanged a look of pride and hope. With that, Ray left the shop, and ran to the Pokémon center with his backpack.

"_**Mom!"**_ he shouted, _**"It's time I went off!" **_Nurse Joy came from the back of the counter, and hugged her son. She had known this day would come for a long time, and although she was prepared to watch her son leave, it was hard to let him go. _**"Ray, promise me you'll call me from time to time, and be sure**_ _**to take your baths, and be safe,"**_ She said as she withheld her tears. _**"I'll be ok mom,"**_ he replied_**, "I can always come home if it gets too rough." **_They released eachother at last, and his mom grabbed a paper from behind the counter. She handed it to him gently, making sure not to tear it. It was a map of the region marked with towns, shops, and other Pokémon centers. _**"Keep that map close, I don't want you**_ _**getting lost out there**_," Said Nurse Joy firmly. _**"And take this too."**_ She handed him a small, blue handheld device with a green sensor on top. He eyed it curiously for a moment, and remembered what it was. _**"That Pokédex has been in the family for a few years now,"**_ she said, _**"I expect you to take good**_ _**care of it."**_ _**"Mom,"**_ ray exclaimed, _**"How did you get this?"**_ She giggled a bit before answering him. _**"Every Pokémon center has to have at least one so that we always know the Pokémon that come in."**_

With a final good-bye, Ray set out on his way to see the sights. With his hopes high, and a newfound confidence brimming inside him, he began his journey to see the world, and the many Pokémon that dwell within it. What challenges awaited him? What troubles would he have to endure? But the most important question is: what Pokémon will be his first partner? As these questions flooded his mind, he headed off to Route 102, close to the mart of his small city. He knew the Pokémon were less aggressive in that area, and decided it would be a good first stop. With his plan in mind, he felt confident that he would have his first Pokémon soon.


	2. Episode 2: Accidental Catch!

Looking for a Pokémon to capture was harder than he thought. He had some of the local trainers help him, but none of them had any luck helping him catch a Pokémon. Most of the poochyena in the area ran away before he could capture them. After half hour of searching, he decided that he needed to borrow a Pokémon from his mother. He thought that if she let him take Chansey , he would be able to catch a Pokémon easier. Just as he was heading home, he heard what sounded like a group of Pokémon talking amongst themselves. He moved aside the shrubbery that obstructed his view of them. They appeared to be small, alien-like Pokémon with what appeared to be horns on their heads. They looked as if they were wearing green caps, and their eyes were jewel red. They had gathered in a circle and were speaking softly to eachother. Ray opened up his Pokédex and it informed him of the Pokémon he was observing.

"_**Ralts, the feeling Pokemon,"**_ it said, _**"Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people, but when it does, it draws closer if it senses that person has a positive disposition. If its trainer is happy, it grows cheerful and joyous in the same way, and likewise, hides if it senses hostility."**_

"_**That's pretty cool; now let's see if I can—huh?"**_ Ray thought to himself. The sound of the Pokédex had alerted the Ralts' of his presence. They stared off in his direction. Ray then noticed that the Ralts in the center of the group was blue instead of green. He thought it was sick, and tried to approach them. He showed himself, causing them all to take a step back. It seemed that they were just as nervous as he was. He remembered what his Pokédex said before, and tried to calm himself. He tripped over a stone embedded in the ground, causing the most of the group to flee. The blue Ralts from the center tripped however, and Ray had landed hard on the ground beside it. He groaned in a bit of pain, and caught his breath quickly to avoid startling the remaining Ralts, who also calmed itself. _**"Hey, are you—ugh…are**_ _**you ok?"**_ he said softly_**, "you're not sick are you?" **_The Ralts tilted its head curiously and pushed on his shoulder. He rolled himself on to his belly, his bag of beef jerky slipping out through the side pocket of his backpack. _**"Oh, my jerky!"**_ he exclaimed. As he was about to slide it back into his backpack, he noticed the curious Ralts staring up at him as he rose to his knees. He felt a little strange, as if he were being studied by the Ralts beside him. Ray got up after a moment and told the Ralts that he was off to capture a Pokémon to become a real trainer. Just before leaving it, he set a piece of beef jerky onto the ground and waved it good-bye.

He walked up route 102 casually, his knee a bit bruised from his fall earlier. He thought for sure that his mother would lend him Chansey for a little while. He began to run excitedly as the city came into view. Once there, he walked around the main road toward the Pokémon center. As he entered, he found his mother treating the wounds of her Pokémon, Chansey. She apparently slipped off of a step stool and hit her head on the counter top. _**"Mom, what happened to Chansey?"**_ Ray asked curiously. _**"Oh my," **_she replied, _**"She hit her head pretty hard. But she will be ok, I'm sure." **_Ray snapped his fingers in disdain. He knew Chansey wouldn't want to battle a wild Pokémon in that condition. _**"Mom?"**_ he asked, _**"Do you have a Pokémon I can borrow?" "I'm afraid not**_, she replied, _**I need Chansey here at the center."**_

Ray was at a loss. He didn't know how he would catch a Pokémon without weakening it first, and had no Pokémon to help him catch one to begin with. He leaned over the counter and put his head down. He sighed heavily, planning his next move. The Pokemon center doors slid open behind him, and a lone Pokémon wandered in. It sidled up beside Ray, chewing a tough piece of beef jerky. It stared up at him curiously. Chansey looked around the counter, and greeted the small Pokémon beside Ray's leg. _**"Chan-sey! Chan-sey!"**_ she yelled out. Nurse Joy looked around, and eyed the small Pokémon beside her son's foot as well, and giggled a bit. _**"Ray, it looks like you have a visitor!"**_ she said somewhat surprised. Ray looked over his shoulder, but saw no one there. He looked all around the room, until he felt a playful tug on his pant-leg. To his surprise, it was the Ralts from before. He lifted it and set it on the counter. _**"Did you follow me all the way here, Ralts?"**_ he asked it, somewhat amused with it. It nodded playfully and growled at him. _**"Hey mom, can you check out this Ralts and tell me if it's sick?"**_ he asked, _**"It isn't supposed to be blue." **_His mom nodded, and Chansey took it in for examination. After a half hour of waiting, Ralts came out of the examination room just fine. It seemed content, almost thankful that it was examined for abnormalities. Its jewel red eyes met Ray's, and they shared a smile. _**"Well Ray, it is**_ _**just fine, and it is in perfect health**__,"_ said Nurse Joy_**. "It is also female, and gentle natured." "Wait just a sec, how are you sure it's female?" **_he asked somewhat surprised. His Mother explained to him that Pokémon can understand eachother through speech. Chansey had simply asked it its gender, and then gave Nurse Joy the symbol for female. They shared a laugh, but Nurse Joy broke the laughter suddenly, with an excited look on her face. She told Ray to stay put, and made her way to the storage room in the Pokémon center. After Rummaging through a few old boxes, she came across a small machine. Hurrying to the counter, she presented it to Ralts.

"_**Mom, what is that old thing?"**_ Ray asked. _**"It's a Technical Machine or TM for short**_," she replied. _**"It is an old Version of TM30, Teleport. Since Ralts is a psychic-type Pokemon, I'm sure she can learn teleport with this machine." **_"_**So**_…," Ray replied, _**"TM's teach Pokémon new moves. How does it do that?" **_

Nurse Joy took Ralts' tiny hand, and placed it on the center of the disk-like machine. The borders spun, and spun, and eventually, a sort of sparkle emerged from it onto Ralts. Then, it stopped suddenly, appearing worn down even further. It almost looked completely broken.

"_**Teleport will let Ralts return you guys to any place you've visited before**_," said Nurse Joy almost tearfully, _**"…Please Ray, Use it to come home every now and then. Use it to keep yourselves safe…" **_Ray nodded, and looked to Ralts. They nodded, and shared a laugh before finally leaving the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy watched her son head off toward route 104. Ralts refused to sit in a Pokéball, which was fine by Ray because he enjoyed the company. With his dream fulfilled, he set out of Petalburg City with his new friend Ralts. They stopped at the beach en route, and watched the waves as Ray planned ahead. Where to go first? How would they get there? And would it be too difficult? With Ralts by his side, he felt new confidence.

Without looking back, he headed north toward the woods.


	3. Episode 3: ZigZag Zoom, Zigzagoon!

Petalburg Woods was a forest he used to play in as a child, but was never allowed to go in deep because of his mother's overprotective behavior. Ralts looked around warily, having never been past Route 102. The rustling of Wurmple in the trees frightened her a bit, prompting him to pick up his timid partner. He opened up his Pokédex to check the moves of his partner, and wasn't too thrilled to see only growl and teleport. Nevertheless, the next city, Rustboro, was past the woods. After a few minutes, they ran into a wild Zigzagoon, and as a trainer, Ray sent Ralts to combat it. The wild Pokémon began to chase after Ralts playfully. Ralts used its growl to intimidate it, but Zigzagoon growled right back, following up with a tackle. Ralts had no attacking moves, and if Ray didn't call the right commands, he'd have to rush Ralts to the Pokémon Center. _**"Ralts, listen carefully! Back into that tree, and let it charge after you!"**_ he shouted to her. She looked at him frightened, and gazed into his eyes. His sincerity resonated with her, and at that instance, she trusted him and did as instructed. The Zigzagoon didn't move an inch, and simply stared at Ralts with a silly grin. Ray instructed her to growl at the Pokémon, which caused it to twitch a bit. The Zigzagoon's eyes rolled around almost autonomously, and the seemingly deranged Pokémon charged like mad toward Ralts. Ray had seen the move before, and knew it was headbutt.

Ralts began to shake a bit, adrenaline rushing through her. It was as if she were standing in front of a freight train. The Zigzagoon stuck its toungue out as it prepared for collision. _**"There!" **_Ray shouted with his fingers crossed, _**Teleport now Ralts!"**_ Ralts followed the command immediately, and teleported herself to his side. The Zigzagoon crashed into the tree, getting its head stuck in the knothole. Ralts sighed in relief, her trust in her trainer growing a little more. _**"Great job Ralts, are you ok?"**_ He asked her gently. Ralts nodded shyly, catching her breath and trying to calm her pulsating heart. After a few minutes of immobility, the Zigzagoon began to scratch at the tree wildly, trying to free itself. Ralts giggled a bit, and tried to pull it free, with no luck. Ray felt a little bad for it and decided to help. _**"Easy boy, easy…"**_ he whispered to it. The sounds of his voice made Zigzagoon wag its tail rapidly, brushing his wrists roughly. He counted to three, and yanked on the Pokémon, pulling it out of the tree. The Zigzagoon darted around for a moment, then plopped itself in front of Ray, panting like a dog would. _**"Take it easy there buddy…"**_ He said as the Pokémon eyed him patiently. He knew all about the Pokémon from the woods because of life at the Pokémon Center, but had never met a Zigzagoon this…hyperactive, or crazed for that matter. Ray then had an idea that, for a trainer, was quite a leap of faith. He set down a Pokéball from his belt, and offered it to Zigzagoon. _**"Hey, you wanna play, right?" **_Ray asked slyly. The Zigzagoon's eyes began to roll again, signaling the oncoming madness he had experienced a minute or two ago. _**"I have a game for you," **_he continued, _**"you can chase this ball to the northern exit, and if you catch it, you can keep it!" **_Zigzagoon began to salivate, seemingly excited about his offer. Ray grabbed it, and threw a Pokéball into the woods. Ray began the countdown, to release the Pokémon on a chase. _**"5…4…3…2…1…and…wait for it…" **_he taunted, causing the Pokémon's anticipation to grow, _**"GO!" **_He released the Pokémon, which ripped up the ground beneath it as it began to charge the ball. It tried to grab it in its mouth, but couldn't. As a result, the ball continued to distance itself from Zigzagoon as it headed for the northern exit. Ray picked up Ralts, and chased the almost psychotic Zigzagoon through the forest. After a good 17 minutes of continuous running, they emerged from the forest on the north side of Route 104, close to a flower shop. Ray collapsed, and the Zigzagoon emerged from the nearby grass, struggling to keep the Pokéball in its tiny mouth.

Ray patted the Zigzagoon on its head. _**"Well," **_he said, _**"A deal is a deal. You can keep the ball." **_The Pokémon hopped with joy, and tripped on its own feet. It crashed onto the release latch on the Pokéball, and trapped itself, much to Ray's amusement. After an entire minute of struggling, it settled down, captured. _**"Well, what do you know?" he exclaimed, "My second lucky catch of the day!" **_ He let it out of its Pokéball, to walk with it, and get to know it. Along the short path to Rustboro city, he waved to the fishers nearby, and finally, gazed at the gate to the large city. He made his way to the Pokémon center on his map, as Zigzagoon followed him closely, crashing into street lamps along the way. Ralts looked up into her trainer's eyes, feeling more secure in his arms than ever before.

He decided to rest at the Pokémon Center for the night, taking a break from his interesting journey thus far. He had met a very wacky new friend, Zigzagoon, and wondered what other kinds of Pokemon he would meet. As he rested in one of the guest bedrooms, he held Ralts close, like a sort of plush toy. She settled into his arms, and rapidly fell asleep. Zigzagoon had been staring out the window, not blinking once…How will their next day on the road play out? Maybe his Partners knew the answers. Ray grinned, and wished his friends good night, before falling asleep in the warm guest bed.


End file.
